


Family of the Unexpected Variety

by therutherfordwife



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dad!Cullen, F/M, Gen, Other, PTSD, Universe Alteration, adaline is a tiny whirlwind, bonding over chess, cullen has been in kirkwall over a year, cullen is smitten, kind of a ua, kinloch happened earlier, kirkwall refugees, the inquisition is interesting when you have a kid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-27 09:39:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6279337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therutherfordwife/pseuds/therutherfordwife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen hadn't given much thought to a family in years. But when a little girl with bright green eyes literally runs into him, his life will never be the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How They Met And What Happened After

He wouldn’t have even noticed her if she hadn’t run straight into him. The tiny thing practically bounced off him, tumbling across the cobblestones with a cry of shock and hurt. Without hesitating Cullen dove forward and lifted the child from the ground before she could be trampled by the waves of refugees.

“What in the Maker’s name do you have there, Rutherford?” Samson walked over, eyes warily observing the crowd. “You do realize Meredith will have your head if she thinks you were distracted while on duty, Knight-Captain or not?”

Cullen merely glanced at the older templar before focusing on the child who now clung tightly to his neck. “Alright, little one, time to let go. Where’s your family? Can’t have you getting lost your first day in Kirkwall.” He gently tugged her arms from around his neck and held her slightly away from him. What he held in his arms was undoubtedly the dirtiest child he’d ever seen. Her short hair was matted down with mud and he couldn’t actually tell what color her skin really was under all the dirt and scrapes she was covered in. He was struck by how unnaturally thin the girl was, the hollowness of her eyes and cheeks making his heart ache. No child should look at him with the same eyes he saw in the mirror.

“Ser Cullen, please. Send the child on. We must continue our patrol.” Samson failed to keep the irritation out of his voice.

“Not until we find her family. We have a responsibility to keep _all_ peoples safe, Ser Samson, and not just from mages.” He shot the man a glare and then turned attention once more to the girl who was watching him unflinchingly. He was struck by the brilliant green of her eyes as they met his without fear. “Where is your family?” He asked once more.

Her head solemnly moved side to side. 

“No family?” His chest tightened in conjunction to his arms around her.

“Darkspawn,” she whispered. For the first time she looked away from him.

“How did you get here?” 

“Boat.” 

He smiled a bit at that, not sure whether she was being obtuse or simply didn’t want or know how to express her travels. “Shall we find you a place to stay then? You’ll be safe here Kirkwall.” He held her tightly. “I promise.”

 

 

He had no idea how she always managed to find him, but he noticed his shadow following their patrol not even an hour into the night. He couldn’t even count the number of times he’d returned her to Madam Tria’s home, but she always managed to get out and find him when he left the Gallows. Despite the stress of rising tensions, a smile blossomed on his face and he turned to beckon the girl forward. He heard the whispers behind him from the rest of the patrol.

“Who is that girl?”

“Why is the Knight-Captain interrogating a child? Is she a mage?”

“I heard she follows him everywhere. Do you think they’re related?”

His smile became a grin at the last as she pattered close and threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his breastplate. Her auburn hair was almost to her shoulders now and her skin was no longer a layer of dirt. Despite the months she’d now been in Kirkwall, however, she was still incredibly small. He would have to speak to Madam Tria and ensure she had the resources she needed to properly feed the children in her home. With the refugees still streaming in daily from the Blight, many were going without in more ways than one. The largest change was in her eyes. While still filled with an unbearable sorrow that few would ever understand, they had become gradually more lively as time went on. It gave him no small amount of joy to know that he was the one who got the biggest smiles from her and could make her eyes light up like a slowly kindling flame.

“You’ve found me again, little one. Joining our patrol again tonight?” She smiled up at him. He idly wondered if she would ever find her tongue. She spoke rarely and only when she was sure no one else would hear but him. He had managed to coax her name from her the week before, much to his surprise. “Alright Adaline, join formation. Remember what to do if we find trouble?” A nod. Wallens and Hicks exchanged amused glances but parted to allow the child to stand between them. It was well known by now throughout the Order of the Knight-Captain’s tiny tag-along and his growing encapsulation with her. The patrol set off once more, Cullen leading the small group through the dark streets of Hightown. It only took a few moments before he felt a small hand slip into his larger one, holding tightly as if afraid to let go. He smiled and wrapped his fingers around hers.

 

 

The Qunari uprising had finally been quelled, thanks to the newly declared Champion. Marian Hawke had defeated the Arishok in a dazzling display of combat and the rest of the Qunari were leaving the city just as fast as they could be packed onto ships. The attention of the Order was now on reestablishing order to the chaos-stricken city.

Cullen looked out over the city from the walls feeling drained from the hardships of the last few days. Smoke obscured his vision of parts of the city, but he knew the Guard had crews already working to contain the damage. His job was to keep information as up to date as possible and organize relief patrols of Templars wherever they were necessary. Runners had been scurrying to and fro for the last several hours as the city slowly settled. Cullen recognized Hicks as the next incoming runner.

“Ser! You’re going to want to read this report!” She shoved the paper into his hands, ignoring the stern look he shot her when the papers he’d already been looking over scattered over the battlements.

“This better be a matter of life and de-” he began to growl, only for the words to die as he scanned the report. His chest tightened and he immediately regretted his words. “With me. Now!” He practically screamed, not bothering to wait for Hicks’ response before charging into Hightown, ignorant of the heavy armor he’d already been wearing for too many hours that day. The familiar streets flashed by as he raced toward the column of smoke that stole his breath before he even reached it.

Madam Tria’s home was burning. Already the upper floors had collapsed, piles of burning lumber and furnishing creating a raging conflagration that the fire crews were loathe to fight. “Did anyone make it out?” He demanded to the fire crewleader. 

The poor man was haggard and terrified of the seemingly enraged Knight-Captain bearing down on him. “Most of them, Ser, they’re down in Mabely’s shop on the corner,” he managed to stammer.

“Hicks-” 

“Way ahead of you, Ser!” She said as she pounded to the corner, leaving Cullen to get the crew better organized against the inferno. Cullen felt a rush of gratitude to the younger templar who understood the best how he felt about Adaline. He didn’t quite understand himself how the girl had come to be such an important member of his life, but he would die before letting harm come to her. Maker, if anything had happened to her . . . Fear curled in his gut, fear he had not felt so strongly since Kinloch; fear of losing another loved one because of his inadequacies. 

The crew began to ardently battle the fire as Cullen himself hauled bucket after bucket to the blaze. He split the crew to spread as much water around the house and onto the neighboring houses in an effort to contain the blaze as much as possible. He was hollering for more buckets when Hicks practically bowled him over in panic. One look at her face confirmed his worst fears.

“She’s not there, Ser. One of the boys said she’d hid in the cellar when the fighting started, said she was too scared to come out,” she pointed to the building. “Cullen, she might still be ok, but we have to get in there _now._ ” He was up the moment the last word was out of her mouth.

A hand caught his shoulder. “Hold on there, Curly. No way we’re letting you run in there on your own.” The familiar voice that usually heralded a unique blend of irritation and amusement was enough to snap him out of his frantic charge. Marian Hawke held fast to his arm while Aveline and Isabela started stripping off his armor.

“Hawke,” he breathed. Never before had he been so thankful for the incorrigable woman’s presence. Despite their differences, when help was needed, Hawke was one of the best people to have on your side. “What are you-”

“We came as soon as word reached us that it was Tria’s.” Her intense golden eyes bored into him. “It’s a kid’s house, Curly, we weren’t just going to sit around and wait for it to burn. Besides, all of Kirkwall knows that the Knight-Captain can’t well patrol without his shadow.” He started at that, having been unaware of how obvious his affection was to the rest of the community. “Merril is going to cover you in an ice barrier. It won’t last long in this heat, but you should be able to get in and get to the cellar. I’ll handle the fire crew with Aveline, Isabela’s organizing some . . . helpers to get that fire under control.”

Cullen could guess who some of their “helpers” would be. The fact that several apostate mages would more than likely be within a block of him, much less one of the most wanted mages in Kirkwall, seemed a remote and unimportant fact. The last of his armor came free and the eager Dalish mage came forward and began to erect the ice barrier around him. He felt like he was watching her work from far away, his fear of magic so insignificant compared to his fear for Adaline.

“Take this with you, wrap her in it and then get out of there as fast as you damn well can. Meredith’s favor won’t last long if I let her precious Knight-Captain fall in a house fire, of all things.” Hawke shoved a wet and half frozen blanket into his hands and then shoved him toward the building. Without hesitation, he forced his way through the flames.

His feet moved on the steps of memory, carrying him through the burning hallway that was too filled with smoke to see. The blanket he held in front of his face to minimize inhalation. He was no good to anyone if he passed out from the smoke. Fallen beams were kicked out the way, the offending door to the cellar that stood to bar his path disappeared in a shower of splinters. 

“Adaline!” He shouted into the cellar. “Adaline!” The inferno had not yet consumed the cellar, but parts of the wooden floor above were beginning to fall and smoke was quickly filling the room.

Weak coughing caused his head to whip around. Curled tightly under the stairs was a pale form whose auburn hair reflected the growing flames above. Cullen rushed to her, bending down to wrap the blanket around her small form. She didn’t seem to notice, arms clamped tightly around her head and face buried in her knees. She was mumbling something to herself and he leaned forward to catch what she was saying.

“Ser Cullen will find me. Ser Cullen will find me. Ser Cullen will find me. This isn’t Denerim, Ser Cullen will save me. Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease Ser Cullen!” She whimpered to herself.

It was as if a wall he had been unaware of around his heart shattered. Until this moment he hadn’t even realized how he held others at arm’s length, hadn’t thought that his reticence to form bonds was anything other than a devotion to his duty. But Adaline’s pleas in this burning cellar, unaware of her rescue, begging for a man whom she couldn’t know was so broken with such hope in the midst of the impossible reached pierced straight through any barriers he had. He doubted any other would ever affect him in the way his little shadow did with her love and utter trust. For a moment the building was forgotten, the fire was forgotten, nothing existed in his mind except him and Adaline, and in that moment he saw a future that would never have to be faced alone for either of their tortured souls.

She trusted him to save her in the midst of any inferno. He would ensure that that trust was never broken, should it be to his dying breath.

The crumpling of the ceiling brought him back to himself and wasting no more time he bundled Adaline in the blanket and lifted her, running up the stairs. The ice barrier was fading quickly, but he ran as he never had in his life, unweighted by armor and driven by the desperate need to protect that which had become most precious to him. 

Anders met them just outside the house. Cullen wasn’t even surprised, nor was he angry. Instead, relief filled him as the mage rushed to support him and Adaline, ushering them away from the fire and urging him to sit. 

“Cullen, I need you to let go for just a second, I just need to check and make sure there’s no lasting damage” Anders lightly tugged the blanket and Cullen reluctantly allowed his hold on the girl to relax marginally. Anders gave him an exasperated look, but did not argue the point and set his focus on Adaline as his magic coursed through her. “She’ll be fine. Her lungs were inflamed from smoke inhalation but I’m clearing it right now.” Anders met his eyes. “She’s fine, Cullen.”

As if in response, Adaline stirred in his arms and opened her eyes, letting her hands fall from around her head. She looked around warily, flinching at the sight of the still-burning home she had been pulled from. When she realized who held her, her gaze lit with relief and happiness and she clung tightly to him, wrapping her arms around his neck with surprising strength.

“Maker, Adaline, why didn’t you leave with the others? I thought-” his voice choked a bit. He caught a brief glance of Varric and Hawke standing behind Anders as if guarding them. His eyes burned. Just the smoke, he tried to tell himself.

“Fire,” she whispered, terror clinging to her one word. “Like in Denerim-” Her body shook with sobs. He knew her family had been killed in a raging fire during the attack on Denerim, on a night of pitched battles and infernos much like this one. She must have been . . . Maker, it would be like actually reliving one of his own nightmares. No wonder she hadn’t moved.

Cullen let Hawke take control of the situation. She knew probably better than anyone how to keep a handle on chaotic situations, and the fire was steadily dying with the added help or Orsino’s mages. He gently carried Adaline down the street to Mabely’s shop, searching for Madam Tria. He started when a hand caught him by the elbow.

“I’ve already spoken to the Madam, Curly, if you don’t want to give her up just yet go ahead and take her somewhere you can both calm down a bit,” Varric rumbled. “You and your kid go catch your breath.”

He gave the dwarf a look with as much gratitude as he could convey with a look and then turned and carried his precious burden to the safety of the Gallows.

 

 

“No.”

“You said yourself that you wish she were, so why is it such a ridiculous suggestion to make it official?”

“Meredith would never allow it. Besides, she would do better with someone else.”

“Bullshit. Who could possibly be better for her than you?”

“Anyone!” Cullen pounded his desk in frustration. Didn’t she understand? As much as he wanted this, and Maker, did he want this, he knew that it was impossible. And he was the last person he would want as a father; she deserved someone whole, unbroken, unburdened by his past and not living in fear of the very people he interacted with every day.

Hicks rounded his table and grabbed his chin to force him to meet her eyes. “Do you love her?”

He ached. “More than anything.”

“Does she love you?” 

“I . . . yes. I think. I hope.”

She fixed him with a stern gaze. “She’s known you since the first moment you arrived in this city. You two literally collided in the street and have been practically inseparable since then. She followed you around like a puppy for every patrol and you let her hold your hand every single time. You’ve carried her home whenever she gets too tired, you’ve bought her clothes and gifts and even organized all of her nameday celebrations! You see her every day! Tria herself has said that anyone who has talked to the girl and been interested backed out when they found out that she’s ‘The Knight-Captain’s little girl.’ The few that were unfazed left when she threw a full on tantrum, screaming and everything, yelling that she already had a family and her father was a templar who would come and save her from her kidnappers.

I can’t think of anyone more worthy to be her father.”

Cullen blinked. He hadn’t heard that she'd thrown tantrums for him before. He was torn between guilt that he had unwittingly contributed to her difficulty in finding a family, and sheer overwhelming joy at the fact that Adaline had apparently referred to him as “father.” He hadn’t thought the word would affect him so much, but he felt like his head was spinning and he was sure he had a ridiculous smile plastered on his face.

“Say it, Knight-Captain. I want you to actually say the words.”

He took a deep breath. “I want to adopt Adaline.”

Hicks let out a “Ha!” of victory and clapped him on the shoulder. “Here, you’re going to want to read this.” She shoved a paper into his hand.

_Madam Tria,_

_I have long been aware of my Knight-Captain’s obsession with the child. I confess I do not fully understand his infatuation, nor do I wish him to continue his relations with the child, as such a distraction is liable to leading Ser Cullen away from his responsibilities. He has striven to be the pinnacle of the Templar Order in Kirkwall, and I am unwilling to see his efforts go to waste in the attempt to raise a child that is already well cared for._  
_However, your strong words in your latest correspondence have caused me to . . . rethink my earlier position. You are correct when you say that strong relationships between people are key to our development. I myself would not be the woman I am without the relationship I developed with Ser Wentworth all those years ago. I am reminded that the life I have has come as a result of the care I received from the Knight-Captain._  
_Knight-Captain Cullen, should he find himself truly inclined, may seek to you to adopt the child. This is only under the provision that the child begin training to enter our order, or, should she prove unfit, be prepared for service to the Chantry_.  
_I would ask that you keep me informed should Ser Cullen pursue the adoption._

_Yours in service,_

_Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard_

 

The paper trembled in his hands. “Where did you get this? When did you get this? Does Meredith know you have this?”

“Got it yesterday from Hawke. And no, the Knight-Commander doesn’t know this is anywhere but Tria’s desk.” Her grin was infectious. 

Cullen was floored. For several moments he sat immobile, mind whirring faster than he could keep up with. Hicks’ grin was beginning to fade to concern when he finally got control of his tongue back.

“I need to move quarters.” Hicks laughed as he began to frantically shuffle around his desk. “I need to talk to Madam Tria, I need to talk to Grand Cleric Elthina, I need-” He caught sight of Hicks’ face and stopped. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well . . .” she reached into her pocket and pulled out several more papers. “Your friends might have . . . already taken care of a few things.” She began to lay each paper on the desk, one at a time. “Here’s the form of adoption from Tria. We’ve already filled it out, it just needs your signature. And here’s the letter of approval from Grand Cleric Elthina, she says you are one of the only men she would ever recommend for single adoption both based on your unique situation and your astounding sense of honor and care. I have an approved requisition order for new quarters, a small suite with a shared common area and small separate rooms. Last but not least, I have a pack of letters from Hawke, Varric, your sister Mia and the Knight-Commander herself. You’ll want to read them before you go get your girl.” She winked at his stunned expression and waltzed out the door. “You’ll want to write Mia back before you go, Ser, she’s got it out for you since you didn’t respond to her last letter,” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared.

Cullen stared at the pile of papers on his desk. A smile, uncontainable and unfound since Kinloch, slowly spread across his face as he began to quickly search for a quill.


	2. Namedays and Sudden Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finishes the events in Kirkwall. Hooray, chaos!

Adaline pattered softly through the halls of the Gallows. It was quiet, but that was to be expected since midnight had barely passed and most of the Circle was asleep. Not everyone however. She slipped past the Knight-Commander’s quarters with a careful eye on the candlelight that still seeped from underneath the door. Meredith had been grown increasingly unreasonable as the years passed, and if she caught Adaline wandering the halls tonight of all nights . . . She shuddered as she turned the corner. She knew the woman had been threatening her father to send her away. She’d come to their suite the other day and had nearly waxed eloquent on how Adaline was a distraction to Cullen at a time of increasing tensions, that she didn’t have the proper respect for the Order that had adopted her and sheltered her. She’d practically accused her of single-handedly instigating the tensions of the last three years, not knowing she’d been in the room next door at the time.

Cullen had come straight to her as soon as Meredith left. She’d wanted to hide, pretend she hadn’t been there, that she hadn’t heard Meredith slam the door after one last threat to send her away for _any_ further perceived infractions. Instead, she’d found herself crying in his arms mere seconds after he entered her room while he gently stroked her hair and tried to assure her that Meredith wouldn’t separate them, wouldn’t force her to leave. _Adaline Rutherford,_ he’d finally said, _I will be dead and gone before you have to say goodbye to me, and I don’t intend to die anytime soon. I’ll get this sorted, you’ll see._

Adaline smiled wryly to herself. She didn’t doubt her father, he was a man of his word, and the last few months even he’d been chafing against Meredith’s tightening fist. They’d talked before about what happened in Kinloch, how it had affected his perception of mages, and how he was beginning to feel like he’d lost something more than his sense of peace. He’d been so honest with her it had frightened her a little. Her lessons from training meant she knew exactly how bad it must have been to be trapped by blood mages and demons. It was the kind of story they were told to frighten off the weaker recruits. And it had happened to her own father. She thanked the Maker every day that he had still been willing to adopt her after everything he’d been through. She couldn’t imagine being part of any family that didn’t have sleepless nights on the couch because of nightmares, where a father didn’t spend time teaching her the intricacies of chess, and where her aunts and uncle she’d never met would still be willing to send her nameday gifts.

Fresh air flooded her lungs as she silently exited onto the battlements. She paused in the shadows as the patrol went by, breathing a relieved sigh when they passed out of sight and then making her way quickly toward the edge of the wall and peered down the side. A small wave met her eyes and she grinned at the sight of her friends queued up along the base of the wall. One in a dark cloak began to swiftly climb towards her. When a hand finally reached over the wall Adaline was quick to grab on and pull the woman the rest of the way.

She was pulled into a rough hug. These were her second favorite hugs in the whole world, after her father’s; the Champion of Kirkwall held her like she was a precious thing, something to be treasured, and her arms were strong and her body warm against Adaline’s. The last time she’d gotten a hug like this had been several weeks ago after Hawke had stormed out of Meredith’s office muttering angrily about the obtuseness of templars and mages, followed swiftly by Orsino himself. Her father had come home that night ranting about someone named Thrask, but when he’d realized she was there he’d gone quiet instead and retreated to his room.

“Happy Nameday, Kitten,” Marian murmured. Adaline squeezed her in response. “The rest aren’t going to climb up, we’re under too much attention for everyone to disappear up the Gallows and not be noticed.” She pulled away slightly and reached behind her. “But I’ve got your presents right here, along with a few letters for you and one for you father. He’s not to see it til I tell you, though, alright? Just keep it safe for me.” They both froze at the sound of approaching feet. “Remember what I taught you about disappearing? Time to practice, Addie.” 

Adaline sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She let the sounds of the night and the feel of the wall beneath her feet envelop her, the way the cool breeze flowed around her and focused with all her might on the thought of being _not here._ Hawke’s hand squeezing her shoulder almost broke her concentration but she held it by sheer force of will as two templars walked slowly past them. A whoosh of released air was her signal to open her eyes, and she met Hawkes grin with one of her own.

Hawke ruffled her hair. “Look at you, disappearing and shit. Fourteen and already a better rogue than most people twice your age.” She glance in the direction the templars had moved. “Are they patrolling more often tonight?”

She nodded. “Meredith doubled patrols again.”

There must have been something in her gaze because Hawke gave her a stern stare. “That bitch hasn’t been interfering with you two again, has she?” Adaline didn’t respond, but for Hawke that was answer enough. “If she tries anything, and I mean _anything,_ you get word to Aveline or Varric, alright? Tell Cullen the same. We’ve all worked too hard to make your lives happy for a raving, power-mad lunatic to rip everything apart.” Adaline nodded. Their gazes turned out over the city. “Something is coming, Kitten. Something big. Meredith is pushing this city to a bitter end if something doesn’t change.” Hawke sighed. “Right. Anyway. You take that back and get back to your room before someone catches you.” 

The two embraced once more. “Tell the others thank you?” Adaline whispered into Hawke’s ear.

“Of course. See you in the Hanged Man next time both of you are free?” 

Adaline nodded, stepping back from the older woman. With one last ruffle of her hair, Marian Hawke turned and slid easily back down the wall. _Maker keep her safe if Meredith ever finds out how easily the Champion can get in and out of the Gallows,_ she thought with a shake of her head. She tucked the small sack she’d been given under an arm and ducked back into the keep. To her relief the light was finally out in Meredith’s room, but she held her breath anyway. She’d seen the Knight-Commander burst from that room in the dead of night wielding her sword in fury at the mere sneeze of a half-asleep servant.

When she finally crept back into her suite it was with a sigh of relief. 

“I’m assuming you have a fairly strong reason for being up and about in the dead of night without permission?” 

She nearly jumped out of her skin, twirling toward the stern voice of her father. His hair was ruffled from sleep but his eyes were alert as ever and narrowed angrily at her. She gulped audibly.

“I was just -”

“Andraste take me, Addie, were you meeting with Hawke again? You know Meredith could have her killed if she finds out she was infiltrating the Gallows on a regular basis?” He wasn’t yelling, exactly, but he’d definitely spied the bag under her arm. He strode across the room and roughly grabbed her shoulders. “Adaline, I know you adore Hawke and her friends, but this could get everyone in serious trouble, especially now that Meredith is . . .”

“Unhinged?”

He glared at her. “Unstable. Why would you risk - why would _Hawke_ risk getting caught now of all times? You remember what Meredith said last week!” She found herself suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. “I can’t have her finding any excuse to take you away,” he whispered shakily. 

Adaline dropped the sack and returned the embrace. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “No one saw, no one heard anything. It was just her this time, the others stayed behind.” He gave a small huff of disapproval. “It was for my nameday,” she finally whispered.

He released her with alacrity. “Maker’s breath, Addie, I am so sorry I - “ he looked positively frazzled, the change of mood coming quicker than a bolt of lightning. “Sit down on the couch, I’ll be right back!” She giggled. He’d been out on patrol today and she’d been training most of the day anyway, coming back to the rooms after dinner and falling asleep immediately. It didn’t bother her that he’d forgotten. Patrols were getting increasingly tense with the community. She took Hawke’s sack and sat quickly on the couch just as he returned with a small package.

“I know you don’t have a lot of spare time during training, but I thought it was time for you to have this.” He grinned at her gasp of delight when the paper fell away to reveal a leather-bound book entitled _Tales of the Destruction of Thedas,_ by Brother Genitivi. “I know you have a fondness for reading, as I do, so I decided it was time to expand your library from mere lesson texts.”

She held the book to her chest like it was precious. “Thank you, Da!” She breathed.

Cullen laughed and then handed her Hawke’s sack. “Go on, open the rest. I’m sure Hawke and her crew of brigands wouldn’t want you waiting til morning to see what you’ve gotten.” 

Her grin was wide as she split open the sack and pulled out several items. Varric had given her a new stack of fresh paper for her drawings, Fenris and Isabella a tiny model ship encased in a glass bottle, Merrill a beautiful bloom of crystal grace that her letter assured her would never wilt. Aveline gifted a bottle of perfume (Donnic picked it out, she assured in her letter). Sebastian said only that his gift was too large to send along with Hawke up the wall but it would be waiting for her in the Hanged Man when she next visited and Anders sent her a balm for sore muscles that she nearly wept at the sight of. Hawke herself had sent two gifts; a brand new set of daggers with the Kirkwall Crest engraved on the hilt, and a copy of _In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar,_ by Brother Genitivi. Adaline snorted at the irony and Cullen had actually blushed when she pointed out the similar tastes in reading material.

Knowing it was far later than either of them should have been in bed, Cullen helped her put her gifts away and then waited for her to get settled into bed before coming in one last time. She heard him as he knelt by her bed and didn’t even open her eyes as he touched his forehead gently to hers. She adored when he did that; it made her feel safe, feel connected to him as more than just a person who lived with him. She struggled sometimes with feeling like she truly _was_ just a distraction in his life, that he wouldn’t be having the struggles he had if she hadn’t latched onto him so strongly since that first day.

“I love you, you know that right?” She reached out and squeezed one of his hands in her own. “You are one of the best parts of my life. I know things are tense right now, but believe me that I would rather have things be tense than to never have met you. I don’t know what you saw in me that day when you ran into me, but I am so glad you never gave up on me. You are everything I would have ever wished for in a daughter, Adaline Rutherford.”

She let the tears fall from under her eyelids. He never seemed to understand that in spite of everything, he made her feel _safe_ in a way she hadn’t since watching Redcliffe disintegrate slowly and then seeing the docks in Denerim explode. They matched, in a way, the horrors they’d experienced giving them ways of understanding each other than few others would ever understand. Their nightmares might be different, but the shared consequences of the circumstances surrounding their arrival in this city had sparked a recognition in each other that together they could move away from their pasts.

She opened her eyes, green meeting gold in a moment of harmony amidst chaos. “I love you too, da.” Still holding his hand, she tucked it under her chin like a tiny pillow. “I’m glad I’m your daughter, too.” She whispered. The last thing she remembered was him pressing a kiss to her forehead.

 

“Shit, I don’t know, Blondy. They’re two peas in a pod though, right? So it makes sense. Hawke’s the Lioness and our little girl is the Kitten.” Varric drained his tankard while Adaline tried to hide her blush. Her? Compared to the Champion? Surely not. “Fit’s like a glove anyways, how tiny she is. I don’t think you’ve grown since he pulled you out of that fire, Kitten,” he directed at her. She frowned at him, fully aware that she was only about two inches taller than the dwarf and not likely to grow more. “Don’t give me that look, girl, your claws are sharp enough for how small you are. Hawke’s a damn fine instructor and you’re not like to find a better rogue in the Free Marches. Not sure what she’s going to think of that bow, however. Thing’s bigger than you are.”

Adaline grinned at that, happily running her hands along the fine wood of the bow Sebastian had sent from Starkhaven. _Too big to send with Hawke indeed,_ she thought gleefully. It had been waiting for her in the Hanged Man just like he’d promised, and Cullen had made her string and shoot it before agreeing to let her keep it. The awe on the faces of a passing group of guardsmen at her ability to draw the bow had been worth the ache in her arm. Hawke’s agitated voice drifted momentarily through the babble of the Hanged Man.

“- the Left Hand herself! Cullen, something _has_ to change. Elthina is staying to try to - “ Adaline couldn’t catch the rest of the conversation. Her father was seated at a nearby table with Hawke, heads bent low together over their mugs and faces deadly serious. She felt it too, in the week since Hawke had last met her on the battlements of the Gallows. The city was poised on the brink of open warfare.

She prayed they would never see it come to pass.

 

 

The rage on both Hawke’s and Cullen’s faces when Meredith had had her dragged into the courtyard had chilled her to the core. If it had been directed at her, she was sure her heart would have thudded to a stop right then and there. She’d been unceremoniously thrown to the ground, a sword to her throat and another at her chest to keep her still while Meredith raved. Hawke was still covered in Anders’ blood, her daggers held loosely in her hands during the momentary stalemate. Neither Hawke nor Cullen was willing to move against Meredith while she had Adaline captive. She herself was a trembling ball of rage as well, furious that these templars still listened to Meredith, furious that they had the audacity to use her trust to pull her from her room, and enraged beyond belief that she was responsible for her father’s and closest friend’s inability to intercede between a madwoman and a quest for mutual destruction.

While Meredith had ranted, Adaline focused her mind. She’d never done this in broad daylight before, and certainly never with so much direct attention on her. Catching Hawke’s gaze, she’d managed to squeeze her eyes shut and indicate attention to her guards. She’d caught on almost instantly, and Adaline breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw Hawke make eye contact with her father. She focused on the stone beneath her, the smell of blood and smoke and the stillness of the air. Just before she let go completely to the sensations, she flicked a hand at Hawke.

The Champion immediately let out a shriek of laughter, startling many in the courtyard. Adaline sank completely into what she felt of the world around her and _knew_ the instant she was successful, somehow, and rolled swiftly to the side and out from under the blades. Grasping the dagger that had been thrown to the ground next to her she’d wasted no time taking down the templars, relieved to note that Cullen had distanced himself from Meredith and her freaky red lyrium sword. Meredith stood in a ring of mages and templars, Hawke’s gang before her and Cullen at her back. Adaline had gaped along with the rest when she’d transmuted into a sickly-glowing red lyrium statue.

There had been a tense moment, many templars still furious at Hawke for defending the mages, but when she’d indicated for her team to leave Cullen had done the same. The two had then quickly moved as one to Adaline, who stood shocked by the statue. She found herself staring at one of the templars that had dragged her to the courtyard; in her adrenaline, she had struck at his neck harder than she’d intended and now . . . Her hands trembled uncontrollably.

Cullen and Hawke both reached her at the same time and she found herself squished tightly between them as they both embraced her. Safe between the two most important people in her world, Adaline cried silently until the shaking stopped.

“Cullen, after today . . . I can’t stay here.” Hawke finally said softly. “This is all too much. No one will understand why I did what I did, why I sided with the mages.” Her gaze was strong, but filled with a deep sadness. “You know better than most how the rest of the world feels about mages. You know where the blame for today will land squarely on the mages, and me for supporting them. You and the rest are mostly good people, I know you’ll keep them safe, but . . . Anders was my friend. I’m too close to the events today.”

Adaline held her tighter. “No!” Blind panic coursed through her. “You can’t leave!”

Cullen’s arms held her fast as Hawke stepped away. “I’m so sorry, Kitten, I know you think you need me but Cullen’s going to need you to help him keep the mages safe.” Adaline could see the tears streaming down her face. “You still have that last letter I gave you?” She nodded. “Good. Now’s the time. Give it to him when you’ve settled things tonight. And Kitten?” Hawke was backing away from them now, steps getting quicker. “I love you, dearest. You can do this without me.” And with that, she turned and fled.

 

Adaline inhaled the strong smell of the sea. It’d been two years since the night Hawke had left, two years since Kirkwall had inadvertently sparked the mage rebellion across all of Thedas. The Right and Left Hands of the Divine had completed their investigation and had spent hours in a private meeting with her father while Adaline paced impatiently outside the door. Murmurs sometimes reached her ears, but overall she couldn’t make out a single thing that was being said.

They’d been in there for hours before emerging, her father looking dazed.

Things had happened quickly after that. Cullen had taken her to their suite and told her what the women had offered, a place in command of the Divine’s own forces. She’d been shocked, then proud, followed by fear. _Her_ father, Commander of the Divine’s armies? Amazing. But that meant they’d be leaving Kirkwall, leaving the only place in the world Hawke knew to find them. He’d recognized the look on her face instantly.

“I’m leaving a note with Aveline. If Hawke comes back, she’ll know where to find us,” he’d said as he held her tight.

Packing had begun in a frenzy at that point, clothing and armor and weapons thrown haphazardly into packs. They’d argued extensively over which books were worthy of making the trip before settling on a mere two dozen and agreeing that the rest would be shipped after them. Seeker Pentaghast and Sister Leliana had escorted them both to the docks the next morning and all had set sail together with the dawn.

She let out the breath she’d held as the memories washed over her. Watching Kirkwall disappear was difficult, much as getting on a ship had been unexpectedly hard. Cullen had seen her steps falter as she stepped aboard and had been quick to catch her arm, reassuring her that they were safe, there were no darkspawn behind them and no fires to flee from this time. She’d reigned herself in as soon as she’d noticed Sister Leliana watching them intently. Both women had been surprised to learn that the Knight-Captain had a daughter.

They were barely out of the harbor when her father returned to the deck and joined her on the rail. She couldn’t help it when she saw his face, slightly green and pinched as he tried to control his stomach, and she giggled when he shot her a glare.

“I don’t understand how any family of mine can be so cavalier about travelling by ship,” he grunted at her.

“I spent time with the early Da on his fishing boat, remember?” She replied with a grin. 

He shot her a look that spoke volumes on his thoughts of her familiarity with sea travel. “Ugh, at the very least try keep your enjoyment of my suffering to yourself, alright?” He retched over the side then. “Maker’s breath,” he gasped.

Adaline pulled a flask out of her pocket. “Here. Hicks threw this at me this morning, said you’d have a hard time and this should help.” He grabbed the bottle and wrenched the cork off, downing it in a few quick gulps. The look of relief was comical.

“Sometimes I wonder how I survived without all the women in my life,” he mumbled pulling Adaline to his side and throwing an arm over her shoulder. “This is alright, right? I know your Vigil was coming up soon.” She tensed under him, and he misinterpreted it. “We can still go through with it, of course! I’m sure your training can be completed while I’m with the forces, and the Divine obviously has access to lyrium so we can -” 

“No!” He stood in shock at her outburst but after a moment indicated she was to continue. “I don’t . . . I don’t think I want to be a templar anymore.” She refused to meet his gaze. “I don’t want to have to rely on lyrium for the rest of my life, and with the way the Order has split since the rebellion started?” She shook her head. “I don’t want to be a part of what it’s becoming. Not that I think _you_ are anything like them! You are wonderful and honorable and you remember what templars were _supposed_ to be. But if I become a templar I’ll be devoting myself to something I’m not invested in the way you were. I’d feel like a fraud.” Her voice had become very small by the end. She couldn’t bear to look up and see the disappointment she knew would be on his face.

Instead, he started to chuckle softly and squeezed her shoulder. “Andraste preserve us, Addie, we are a pair, aren’t we?” When she gave him a surprised glance, he elaborated. “I told Cassandra and Leliana last night that if I did this, I wouldn’t be a man caught between two commitments, the Order and the Divine.” He gazed out at the sea. “I’ve left the Order, Adaline. I’m not a templar anymore. And you,” he focused once more on her, “could never make me less proud by being your own person. If you still want to continue arms training, we can do that, but if you want to stop fighting altogether I’ll help you find a way to do whatever you want. I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

She could hardly comprehend how their lives were changing so rapidly. Cullen? Not a templar? It was difficult to wrap her mind around, but relief was her greatest emotion. She’d been so afraid he would hate her for not wanting this. Her future was difficult to see for herself, but for now she was content that no matter where they were headed, they would bear the challenges together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this got a bit choppy in places, this whole fic is not entirely sequential(?) in that each break can have months or years or just days between. Everything is in chronological order though, so events are always moving forward. I also changed Cullen's romance for this because I decided Hawke will fit better with Adaline than Trevelyan or Lavellan would, and since this is really a story about Adaline as opposed to the _other_ Rutherford I figured why not :D That will kick off sometime in Ch. 3 ^.^


End file.
